Just One More Glass
by Inconcessus Diligo
Summary: Valeena is a retired adventuerer forced to re-think leaving her old life behind when the quiet city of Dalaran throws her a curveball in the form of a surprise enemy and the entry of love into her life.
1. Chapter 1

Valeena slowly sipped her wine, her eyes gazing around the bar. For a cheese and wine bar, One More Glass proved to be slightly less of a hit with the citizens of Dalaran than the city's other amenities, such as the ever-crowded Legerdemain Lounge; however, it provided a better atmosphere, and the quality of the produce was second to none.

Sloshing the wine around the glass was the best entertainment she was getting at the moment though. It was only eight O'clock in the evening, and the more posh places never started filling up before about nine. Holding the glass to her face, she surveyed the blood red liquid inside, adoring how it shimmered in the light, causing the glass it was held in to glitter.

As Draenei come, Valeena was one of the more sophisticated, yet still primitive at heart. Her initial lust for adventure died out during the trek from Borean Tundra, and so she settled down in Dalaran; though her longing for excitement and adrenaline never truly left her. As it stood, the chainmail and fur-lined leather of past journeys was now hanging up in her room at the Legerdemain; replaced by the more widely accepted robes of the inhabitants of the purple city; her longsword and bow rarely saw the light of day due to the lack of crime in Dalaran's main districts making the city safe enough to walk through without requiring weapons.

Valeena sighed heavily, replacing the glass of wine on the table and staring at her reflection on the surface. Gone were the ragged, weather-worn features, replaced by smooth, taut skin and make-up. At least her eyes hadn't changed; they still blazed a bright blue that lit up her pale, silvery skin. Peering at her reflection, she adjusted the hair band that held back contrasting golden locks of long, silky hair, and realigned the necklace that hung around her neck.

Satisfied, she took up the wine and had another sip before shrugging and downing the last third of a glass in a single go. The sensation of Dalaran's finest sliding down her throat was short-lived, but not unpleasant, and left her wanting more. Wine from Kalimdor and the Eastern Kingdoms is good, but it all pales in comparison with Dalaran's finely aged stocks; nothing reminds you that you had a good night like a Dalaran wine hangover.

Valeena stood and glided over to the bar, each step taken lightly and elegantly; which is hard to master with hooves. The few people that sat at the bar were Humans, High Elves or Blood Elves, since they made up most of Dalaran's populace, yet there were a small handful of other races. A pair of Dwarves sat in the far corner, whispering over a table of empty glasses; a Gnome and a Goblin were having a heated debate over some form of mechanism directly opposite the Dwarves, and a rowdy group of Orcs and Trolls sat at the main table, which itself was littered with platters of cheese and jugs of wine.

The racial diversity of Dalaran was made even more amazing due to the fact that the peace is kept; especially the tensions between Humans and Orcs, which seemed to simply disappear,

"Would you like a re-fill?" Valeena jumped and turned towards the bar, finding herself face to face with Christi Stockton, one of the barmaids and possibly owners.

"Oh, erm, yes please; another glass of your Tundra Berry red please." Valeena replied.

"Make it a bottle, I'll pay." Valeena wheeled around to discover the source of the amendment. Standing before her was a very finely dressed Night Elf. His tuxedo barely fit his build, and he carried himself with a distinct air of superiority; something that Valeena detested in her acquaintances, friends and partners; yet she blamed herself partly for spending her time in a fancier type of bar, "Oh, how rude of me not to introduce myself, I am Talandrel Staghoof, and I would like to be your company for this fine evening."

Not one to turn down free wine, Valeena was hard-pressed to decline Talandrel's offer, "I would be honoured to have you as my company for this evening, Mister Staghoof." Valeena replied in the most proper way she could; after all, he was buying the drinks; politeness in return is only fair.

At least an hour of the Night Elf's self-obsessed 'conversation material' went by before Valeena decided she'd had enough. She needed an excuse to get away from the elf before she was driven insane. As the last drop from the third bottle – partly thanks to Valeena needing to drink heavily in order to remain sane – Valeena seized her chance to escape,

"I'll get the next bottle; you've already done quite enough tonight." She said as she leapt up from her seat.

"Ah a traditional woman; it warms the heart to know that there are still those charitable few who remain loyal to the older ways." Talandrel spoke, reclining in his chair. Despite joining Valeena in the heavy drinking, he didn't appear to even be phased. Valeena herself was also seemingly immune to the effects of alcohol, having been an avid drinker for years. Adventuring often took its toll, and sometimes hitting the bottle was the only way to relieve the stresses of everyday life.

Once at the bar, Valeena glanced over her shoulder towards the table. The Night Elf still sat, twiddling his thumbs and surveying the room. _Will this man ever leave?_ Valeena thought to herself. It was now about ten O'clock, and the bar was growing steadily fuller as the denizens of Dalaran flocked to the ample night-life. It also meant that Christi was going to be busy, and so with any luck it would be a whole before Valeena got served, giving her time to recuperate from the drone of the Night Elf.

The rarer people started to enter the bar around this time. The Forsaken that travelled to Dalaran appeared only during the evenings; Tauren that were usually on the Crystalsong Forest floor occasionally travelled to Dalaran, if only for supplies; Night Elves and other Draenei also made their appearance during the evenings, though both were to be found in lesser numbers during the day.

Valeena drummed her fingers on the bar; occasionally glancing back towards the table to see if the elf had upped and left. He had not. Christi soon appeared from the other end of the bar and Valeena's stomach churned, her freedom was over,

"A bottle of your house white and a wheel of your sharpest cheese please." Valeena blinked in surprise as someone gave her a few more seconds of liberty. The source of the soft voice walked up and stood next to Valeena. A pale blue Draenei now waited for her order. She wasn't dressed like the others in the bar; she wore no elaborate gown or robes, just a simple purple halter neck dress and her glittering blonde hair was held in a tight ponytail by a plain purple band.

The way she was standing didn't fit the bar much either. Others stood tall, trying to exude dominance through height; but she was bent forwards, her chin resting in the palms of her hands as she rested her elbows on the counter. The Draenei's tail just swayed from side to side, occasionally wrapping itself around one of her legs. Attention had been on her from the minute she'd walked in. Around the bar, men and women either turned their noses up at her common pose and clothes; others ogled at her with searching eyes. A table of Human and Night Elf males obviously out on the town were conversing with each other, gesturing towards the Draenei and giggling with occasional push to the closest person.

Finally, one of the Humans stood and strutted over,

"Do you want a drink?" He asked in the smoothest voice he could.

The Draenei turned her head and smiled, "No thank you, I'm fine."

The man laughed, "I love it when you girls play hard to get; luckily I'm just as good at this game." He smacked the Draenei's buttocks firmly, and quick as anything, his arm was constricted by her tail. He struggled and squirmed but the Draenei's grip simply strengthened.

She turned her head around again, still smiling, "Brave yet stupid, how… Human of you," She released the man's arm and he staggered back, glaring at the Draenei and nursing his aching limb, "Try anything again, and I'll break whatever you use; and I mean whatever you use." Her eyes darted down to his crotch, which he promptly covered as he backed away towards his astonished table of friends.


	2. Chapter 2

The kerfuffle had garnered a significant amount of attention, including that of Talandrel. He blanked Valeena as he strode over to the Draenei next to her, clearing his throat, "Excuse me, madam, but I could not help but witness that particularly powerful act; I would be honoured if you joined me at my table for a drink."

This time, the Draenei just stood and faced the elf, meeting his height, "I apologise if this seems a little rude, but were you not just with this woman?" She gestured at Valeena, who was staring at the pair.

Talandrel glared at her for a second, "I think you must be mistaken, I have never seen this woman before in my li- OOF!" The Night Elf collapsed on the floor, clutching his crotch. Valeena had had enough of him, and had delivered a shattering kick to his groin.

"Be grateful, it would've been harder if you hadn't bought the drinks." She spat at stunned elf. By this time, the whole bar was watching the two Draenei. Conversations had ceased and the air was tense.

"I think you two had better leave." Christi suggested as she returned with the other Draenei's order, "Not because I want you to, but because that creep has connections, and not necessarily the good sort. You'll want to leave before anyone sees you towering over him." Christi winked as she placed the bottle and cheese into a paper bag, handing it to the blonde Draenei, and then stepping out from behind the bar, over the elf as if he wasn't there, and towards the far table of Dwarves.

The Dwarves stood and walked up to Valeena and the blonde Draenei, "Nobody saw nothing; we'll make sure o' that. We just need to get you down to the Legerdemain for safety reasons an' stuff. None o' this guy's cronies dare go in there after what Arille did to 'em; nasty piece o' magic 'at was; bleedin' hilarious, but nasty. Not to say they didn't deserve what was comin' to 'em." One of them said, laughing as he was reminded of whatever Arille Azuregaze did.

The walk to the Legerdemain was short, and they soon arrived at the back door. One of the Dwarves pulled a key from his beard and slipped it into the lock, ushering the Draenei inside. A squeal followed by a shout of surprise from the lead dwarf told Valeena that they were far from expected,

"…an' now they need to stay holed up 'ere for a bit, jus' till it all dies down, ya know?" The Dwarf returned with Amisi Azuregaze, Arille's wife, in tow, "You got a place they can stay?"

"I know Valeena has an almost permanent room here, I'm sure I can find the other one a suitable place." Amisi sighed, "Until then, it's best that they stay back here or up in Valeena's room; we might need you two to stay with them though, it's a busy night tonight and anyone could sneak around without much trouble."

The Dwarves looked at each other, "Yeah, about that. We kinda need to head back and clear up the 'mess' pretty sharpish. We can't be babysittin' all night."

Amisi held her face in her palm, "Fine, one of you can go. I'm sure they can't have caused THAT much of a stir. It was only a kick in the balls." Amisi sighed again, "What I would give to have a free shot at his bollocks…" She turned and left, giving the Dwarves no time to argue, and after a quick discussion, one of the Dwarves shot out of the door, plucked the key from the keyhole and slammed it shut.

"Damnit, Regnim! I'll get you back for this." The remaining Dwarf shouted, kicking the door in frustration. He turned to face the Draenei, "Oh, I didn't mean… I… not to say I don't want to be here…" He scrambled for words, his eyes fixated upon the sturdy hooves of the girl in front of him.

"It's okay, we understand," The blonde Draenei said, patting the Dwarf on the head, "Or at least I do, I'm unsure about… Valeena?"

"Yeah, though I'm a bit annoyed that everyone seems to know my name, but I don't know anyone else's." Valeena replied.

"Ya know Regnim's." The Dwarf said.

"Yes, but…" Valeena started.

"And ya know Amisi's." Came the Dwarf's low voice.

"I…" Valeena spoke.

"And Arille's." The blonde Draenei interjected.

"Fine!" Valeena cried, "I get it!"

"Woah, calm down. We're just having a bit of fun." The blonde Draenei said softly, "If you really want to know, I'm Laruna and this guy is Degnim, Regnim's twin."

"I can tell people ma own name ta very much." Degnim told Laruna.

"Yes, but it sounds so much nicer coming from me, don't you think?" Laruna replied, beaming at Degnim.

"This is all well and good, but aren't we supposed to be finding somewhere to stay? You know, so we don't get the heck beaten out of us?" Valeena said.

"The 'heck' beaten out of us? Well aren't you little Ms Goody-Two-Hooves? Getting the heck beaten out of us is like being told to go away by a bouncer. It doesn't happen. You get told to piss off by a bouncer, and similarly, you get the shit beaten out of you. Life isn't all sugar-coated rainbows and Unicorns." Laruna laughed.

"Oh I used to be quite the potty-mouth, I assure you." Valeena replied.

"Of course you were hun, and I used to skip through meadows of flowers, make daisy chains and be scared of the dark." Laruna laughed again, "I like you. You're really quite cute, like a soft bunny wabbit."

"Oh shove it!" Valeena barked.

"Ooooh, maybe this wabbit is actually wolf in disguise after all." Laruna replied.

"Ladies, I love a good cat fight as much as the next guy, but is there a chance you can untwist your kickers and put down the handbags for a while? There's only so much a guy can take o' this stuff." Degnim interrupted, "Don't mind Laruna, she's a playful lass, but can get a bit caught up in the moment. It's usually best jus' to accept what she says; it's the only way to shut 'er up." He whispered to Valeena.

"Thanks for the heads up." Valeena replied.

Steps began to echo through the back room, and Degnim tensed, reaching behind him; possibly for a hidden weapon. Laruna also fell into a less static pose. Valeena crossed the room in a few short steps and ducked down behind a plush purple settee,

"Degnim, I found a- AHH!" Amisi shouted as she entered the room, only to have Degnim leap at her.

"Sorry Amisi, we didn't know…" Degnim was again forced to put his apology skills to the test, but fell silent as Amisi slapped him across the face.

"That's the second scare you've given me tonight. Anyone outside would think the worst if I keep screaming whenever I go behind the scenes." Amisi reprimanded Degnim, "Anyway, there's a spare room upstairs opposite Valeena's. It's right at the back of the hall, so you can sit outside both of them and guard the entrances, Degnim."

"Oh joy." Degnim said sarcastically.

"There's no way you'll make it through the crowds unseen, so I've aligned this Hearthstone to the corridor. It's rare, so don't break it, and use it wisely." Amisi said, "They're usually only for one person, but Arille modified it for use with more." She handed the stone to Degnim and left the room.

"I've always wanted one o' these things. Stuff of legend back in Azeroth, they are. Always knew settling down in a city of mages would have its rewards." He stood, studying it for a minute as Valeena and Laruna stared at him, "Okay, I give," he said, "How the hell does it work?"


	3. Chapter 3

Laruna plucked the stone from the Dwarf's hands and fiddled with it until it started to glow a bright green. The glow grew and expanded, covering Laruna's hands, "Quickly, touch it!" Laruna said. Degnim and Valeena darted forwards and placed their hands on the stone. A second later, they stood in a completely different place. The teleport had been instantaneous, and unlike mage teleports and portals, there wasn't any sickness or surprise bowel movement to follow the change.

Luckily, the corridor they arrived in was clear. Another downside of teleports was the chance of teleporting inside a wall or even another person, and so only trained mages were taught the art,

"Right, one o' you get me a chair and order me some room service; it's gunna be a long night and I need a good place to park me arse and some good food… maybe a beer or five." Degnim said, removing his hand from the stone.

"There's a spare chair in my room, I'll be back in a minute." Valeena replied, darting into her room and returning with a tall, polished wooden chair.

"You havin' a joke? I'd look downright silly if I 'ad to sit on that thing." Degnim cried.

"It's that or the floor, Deggy." Laruna replied, giggling.

"Don't start again with that 'Deggy' malarkey. It was weeks before that nickname wore off. It hung around like a particularly nasty ram's fart." Degnim sighed, "If it'll make ya shut up then it'll have to do, but I 'aint pleased 'bout it; not one bit." He clambered onto the seat and got comfy, wiggling around to get the best position, "Now, 'bout that room service…"

Time crawled by once Valeena was alone. She lay on her bed, hands behind her head, staring at the ceiling. Her initial thoughts about Dalaran being a safe place had been scrapped; if one person can exert that much power of the populace of a city such as Dalaran, then obviously was something was wrong.

She rose from her bed and walked over to the wardrobe at the far end of the room. Pulling the doors open, she rummaged around until she touched the cold metal of a sword hilt. Taking the sword from the wardrobe, she removed the sheath and sat the blade on her palm. Despite being untouched for a long time, the metal hadn't worn or corroded, and still reflected the light. Perhaps it was once again time take up the sword?

Whilst sheathing the sword and replacing it in the wardrobe, the clatter of chain distracted Valeena. Rattling the clothes, she soon found her old tunic. Unlike the sword, the leather could not hold up to the test of time, and was worn and in need of repair. The fur lining had matted and was no longer as soft as it used to be. Valeena put the tunic back and closed the wardrobe, casting her mind back to the memories of her travels, the people she met and the challenges she overcame. A part of her longed for those days to return, but another part liked her current life. She was carefree, in a quaint room with pretty clothes. Perhaps Laruna was right; maybe she was soft.

The next few minutes were spent pacing the room. Did she want to leave this life behind and go back to a life on the edge? She might never return; she might die a lonely lost memory out in the frozen wastes of Northrend. But was a life of luxury any better? Where was the thrill of the chase, not knowing what's around the next corner? Everything would be so… normal. Trivial.

Nothing could be decided on her own. Valeena needed a second opinion. Creeping to the door, she took one last glance out of the window, judging by the moon's position that it was around midnight, give or take about an hour. Edging the door open, she peered outside to check if Degnim was watching. He was slouched on the chair, mouth wide open and snoring, with a partially drunk flagon of mead in one of his hands and bread crumbs scattered around his beard.

Carefully, Valeena exited her room, closing the door gently behind her. Grateful for the carpeted floor, she continued towards Laruna's room, the fabric muffling the sound of her hooves. Then came her greatest challenge; gaining entry. She could knock, but it might wake up Degnim, although Laruna might not hear her whisper. It'd have to be a knock then.

Valeena rapped lightly on the door with her knuckles, glancing over her shoulder at Degnim, who remained unmoving and snoring. Nobody answered, so he knocked harder, and harder still. At one point, Degnim grunted and she thought the game was up, but luckily he didn't wake. Sighing, Valeena tried once more, raising her hand and falling forwards as the door was pulled open. A pair of blue arms caught her before she hit the ground and pulled her in,

"That was close; your face almost became a pancake." Laruna said after she'd shut the door.

"Yeah, thanks." Valeena replied from her seat on the bed, still slightly shaken.

"So, why were you sneaking around out there? Bunny wabbits don't sneak." Laruna smiled.

"I couldn't sleep…" Valeena replied. Laruna placed her hands on her hips, clearly unconvinced, "Fine, I need your advice."

Laruna raised an eyebrow inquisitively, "Oh? What about? If it's the best type of lettuce for a growing bunny wabbit then I'm afraid you're asking the wrong person."

"Drop the rabbit shit, I'm being serious." Valeena barked.

Laruna laughed, "Okay, sorry; go on."

"Well, I've been thinking…" Valeena started.

"No." Laruna interjected.

"No?" Valeena asked.

"No, I will not read you a bedtime story." Laruna replied.

"Oh for the love of the light! I am being serious!" Valeena shouted, worried she might wake someone; luckily nobody came.

"Fine, fine. I'll shut up." Laruna retorted, her smile fading and her arms now folded at her abdomen.

"Thank you. Now, I've been wondering whether this life is… for me." Valeena paused to see whether Laruna would make another smart remark, which she didn't, "You seem to lead a pretty good life, having fun and all that; I want to know how you do it. No matter what I want to do I always manage to find flaws."

Laruna sat next to Valeena and sighed, "My life isn't good." She admitted. Valeena turned and stared at her with searching eyes, "You see this? This pretty little façade? It's the only thing that stops me hurling myself off this light-forsaken city; well, that and the guards." Laruna sighed again, "See, even when I'm trying to be open with someone I can't help but crack jokes. Every day I wake up and I have to convince myself that the day ahead is worth living."

Valeena looked away. She felt so guilty. Had she not lapsed and wondered... "I'm sorry; you just seem liked, you have friends and you carry yourself like you do…"

Laruna laughed, "Liked? Friends? Please. I have no job; I live in a tiny apartment with the drunken duo; what little money I have is made through bounties on petty criminals and then blown on liquor at the end of the day because it's the only way I can cope. I don't fall asleep at night; I have to knock myself out with alcohol." She sniffed and Valeena could tell that she was crying, "I carry myself like I do because it's just part of the disguise. At night in these bars, I can pretend to be successful. I can pretend that I lived the life I wanted to and I can pretend that I look forward to my life."

Laruna sniffed again, "This… this is the real me; a lonely woman who cries in front of a complete stranger over a small question. Look at me now and say that you want to be like me, that you want to live my life."

Valeena was lost for words, "I… erm…"

"Look at me! Tell me that you don't want to be this. I don't want to ruin your life by making you into a fraud." Laruna said.

Valeena glanced at her and the tears that streamed down her pale blue face, "I'd best go…" she said, and started to stand.

"No." Laruna grabbed Valeena's arm, "Please. Tell me. Don't let this weigh on my conscience."

Valeena sat back down, "I… I can't tell you that." Laruna's grip on her arm lessened, "You've sat here and told me everything; you've cried and showed me that the world still affects you, and yet you continue to put on the same mask day after day and you weather the world.

"Something like that… it'd crush me; the fact that you can do it proves to me how strong you really are. That's a strength I'd love to have. So no, I cannot say that I do not want to be like you; it's simply not true." Laruna relinquished Valeena's arm.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hi all; hope you like it so far. Work and life is a bit annoying at the moment so I can't get a lot done, but here's another segment for you to digest whilst you're waiting. Enjoy.**

A minute or so passed before Laruna broke the silence, "Why aren't you leaving?"

"Because I'm not like that. I won't desert you when you need someone." Valeena replied.

"Who's saying that I do need you?" Laruna muttered.

Seconds went by before Valeena stood up, "If you don't need me, then I'll leave you alone. Goodnight." She walked to the door and grasped the handle.

"Wait." Valeena froze, "I'm sorry I snapped at you just now." Laruna said, staring at the ground, "Just… don't go… not yet… I need you."

Valeena returned to bed and sat back down beside Laruna. A minute or two passed before Laruna stirred, shuffling up onto the bed and rested her head in Valeena's lap, careful not to gore her with her horns. Whilst odd, Valeena had no objection. She delicately stroked Laruna's golden hair, her mind flicking through the past couple of minutes trying to make sense of it all, "Valeena?" Laruna asked softly.

"Yes?"

A few seconds of silence ensued before Laruna spoke again, "Will you sleep with me here tonight?"

Valeena took a while to respond, "Do you mean…"

Laruna chuckled lightly, "No; just… just be with me. I enjoy your company; it reassures me."

"Of course; as I said, I'm not someone who'll abandon you when you need me." Valeena replied.

Valeena had never shared a bed with another woman before. Men yes, but women… she just didn't tend to lean that way. Despite the promise by Laruna that it would be for nothing but reassurance, Valeena couldn't help but feel uncomfortable. She turned over beneath the covers for the umpteenth time that night, and stared at the back of Laruna's head. How the blonde found it so normal was beyond understanding; Valeena couldn't even get comfortable, never mind fall asleep.

She scowled in frustration and turned over again, this time facing the window on the wall a few feet away. The night sky over the Crystalsong Forest was always mystical; whether it was the innate magical properties on the flora and fauna being released into the air, or something else, it never got dull or boring. Quickly glancing back to make sure Laruna was still asleep, Valeena slid out from under the covers and walked across to the window; resting her arms on the windowsill and gazing up into the sky.

A sharp draught pierced her skin like and arrow, reminding her that she was still dressed for sleeping rather than star-gazing; her plain white chemise was no match for the cold night air. Before she could move, something soft and thick was draped over her shoulders. Warmth flooded back into her body as what felt like a fur cloak was wrapped around her,

"You looked cold." Came Laruna's soft voice as the blonde joined Valeena at the window.

"I was… thanks." Valeena replied, noting that Laruna herself was also contained within a cloak, "I didn't mean to wake you; I'm sorry."

Laruna chuckled and smiled, "Don't worry, I wasn't asleep. I've been listening to you tossing and turning."

Valeena simpered and continued to gaze out into the night, "I'm just…"

"Not used to sleeping with a woman?" Laruna suggested.

"Well, yeah." Valeena replied, "It doesn't feel right…" Laruna tried to stifle a laugh, but instead released a string of incomprehensible noises, "What's so funny?" Valeena turned and eyed Laruna as she collected herself.

"Oh, nothing" Laruna sighed, still laughing to herself, "Just your coyness. I find it hard to imagine that you used to be an adventurer."

"I am not coy!" Valeena retorted, "Am I?"

"Don't worry; I'm just messing." Laruna playfully nudged Valeena.

They stood and examined the heavens together for the next few minutes, with the occasional nocturnal bird catching their attention until it soared out of view on the cool night breeze. Everything seemed tranquil and magical. One of the birds perched on a window ledge opposite the girls; staring at them through beady yellow eyes and cocking its head left and right as if it was wondering what they were. The staring contest was broken as the bird cawed and took flight. Valeena watched it glide on the light breeze and admired its freedom.

Something brushed against her hand, almost distracting her from the bird that was becoming a mere dot on the slowly brightening horizon. Had it not been for the tendrils of light that heralded the arrival of sunrise, she would've found herself hand in hand with Laruna. Instead, she continued to enjoy the sunrise; either blissfully unaware of Laruna's advance, or tolerant of it.

As the rounded scalp of the sun edged over the Northrend horizon, the city of Dalaran was bathed in a warm orange glow that beat back the cold night's shadows. Valeena felt the warmth of the sun on her face as it seeped through her. On her left cheek, she felt the soft touch of Laruna's lips as they glided across and planted a light kiss upon it. Ordinarily, Valeena wouldn't stand for something like this; but this wasn't an ordinary time, and neither Laruna nor Valeena herself were normal people; something about the moment, the timing of it and the person behind it made the whole thing feel right.

Unsure of how she truly felt, Valeena turned her head towards Laruna, and stared her in her shimmering blue eyes. Her mind was made up at this point, and she stared downwards, avoiding the return gaze of Laruna. She took a deep breath, looked up at Laruna and, still clutching her hand, eased her closer until she could feel the blonde's warm breath on her face. Finding Laruna strangely alluring, Valeena could not resist the urge to see if this meant anything. She broke her grip on Laruna's hand, instead taking the Draenei's waist. Shedding their coats, the pair stood holding each other's body against their own and gazing into the other's eyes.

As one, they edged their heads forward until their lips brushed against the other's and moulded into a kiss. Nothing but Laruna entered Valeena's mind as they locked lips. Powerful feelings of lust coursed through her body, spurring her on. Her past experiences with women were nothing more than drunken snogs, but this was something more; something greater than anything she'd experienced before.

This was not a simple act of lust; Valeena had more than enough experience with those to recognise them. No; this was a true kiss; a kiss that said 'I want you to be mine forever'; a lover's kiss. What Valeena found strange wasn't the fact that she simply enjoyed it; it was the fact that she found herself reciprocating. In a single night she'd found someone she could truly be with for the rest of her life. She never wanted the moment to end.

The door to the room violently swung inwards in a hail of wood, revealing a red-faced, teary-eyed dwarf standing in the doorway. He seemed to pay no heed to the fact that he'd just burst in on two females kissing; instead, he simply sniffed and looked them both in the eyes as they hastily broke apart,

"'E got im. Gone 'e is, all 'cos o' im." Degnim spluttered, taking a while to read the puzzled looks of the Draenei, "Regnim's dead!"


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Sorry for another author's note, but I finished this part at 4am, so there may be a few spelling errors I haven't caught. It's also larger than the others, but I wouldn't expect this to be become the normal length; think of it as a special chapter length. Enjoy.**

The atmosphere in the Legerdemain was solemn as news of Regnim's death spread. Degnim was by far the most affected; not even the strongest ales managed to perk him up. Valeena stood near the back of the front room, watching silently as people shuffled over to offer Degnim their sympathies. Since the amazing start, Valeena's day had grown progressively mournful; Degnim cried at every opportunity; Amisi cried because he was crying; and Valeena cried because everyone else was crying.

Laruna however, seemed largely unaffected. Despite sharing a house with Regnim and Degnim, she'd shown a small amount of sadness but nothing on the scale of even those who didn't know him intimately. This was not what worried Valeena though; what concerned her was the fact that Laruna now avoided all non-necessary interactions. If she was affected by Regnim's death, then she didn't show it whenever she made an appearance. Valeena had a moderate inclination to follow her whenever she left and see what she was doing. Nobody who shared a house with someone who was killed could take it this lightly.

Valeena's thoughts were interrupted by the smashing of glass and shouting, and she glanced upward to spy Degnim waving the broken neck of a bottle at a tall figure clad in elegant furs and a black fedora,

"You! You did this! I'll 'ave yer big purple 'ed one day; I'll 'ave it mounted on me wall after what you did you Reggie!" Degnim roared as he flung himself at the figure, which raised a hand towards Degnim and fired a gust of wind from the palm, sending the dwarf flying backwards.

"I understand how crushing the loss of your brother must be, and that you have clearly consumed a copious amount of liquor; however I wish to inform you that threatening someone such as myself with violence on false grounds is very, shall we say, unwise." The figure plucked the fedora from his head with a large purple hand, and held it against his chest. Valeena recognised him at once as the Elf from the previous night.

"I suggest that you make your sympathies known, Talandrel, or leave if you have none." Arille's stern voice cut through the tense air like a fresh blade; the Blood Elf stared at Talandrel through hard green eyes, though never stopped cleaning the pitcher he held.

Talandrel opened his mouth as if to speak, but the words must've escaped him as he promptly closed it and simply smiled, "As you wish, Arille; this is indeed your establishment." He returned his attention to Degnim who was still breathing heavily and slumped against the wall; bleeding from his lip where he'd bitten it during the flight, "I am sorry that your brother was taken from you; you obviously shared a special bond of blood and that makes this ordeal all the harder on you. Again, I am terribly sorry."

"Great; now piss off." Degnim muttered, wincing as he ran his tongue over the wound on his lip. Talandrel smirked and turned to leave, catching sight of Valeena as he did. He gave her a curt nod and a sly smile in response to her piercing eyes, replaced the fedora upon his head and strutting back into the streets of Dalaran, whipping his fur cloak around him, "Stuck-up purple bastard." Degnim spat as he shuffled to his feet.

The onlookers of the incident who were seemingly in no hurry to aid him around Talandrel now flocked over, but he pushed them aside, "Time's the best healer at the moment; pity you all didn't have it when the twat hit me." He stopped next to Valeena and gave her a searching look, "You were a great 'elp an' all, what with yer standin' there, givin' 'im the evil eye an' whatnot; really, he's probably gone ter toss 'imself offa this floating rock now you been starin' at 'im.

"I mean come on, what 'elp would another bullock buster 'ave been? No 'elp at all, obviously." He ended his tirade of sarcasm and clambered up the stairs, "I'll be sleepin' where I fall tonight, and that's gunna be your room. Maybe yer can shack up with yer girlfriend, so I don't ave' ter kip on a chair again. Bleedin' amazin', spend the night with someone else and don't even offer ol' Degnim the unused room…" His voice trailed off as he wandered along the corridor and entered Valeena's room, slamming the door shut behind him.

Valeena stood still and silent. Eyes from across the room peered quizzically at her, only to dart back to their meal or drink as soon as Valeena returned the gaze. For her, the day could not get any worse; or it couldn't until Laruna staggered into the inn, her right arm clutching her left side and her face carrying a pained expression. The extent of her injuries was not apparent until blood began to trickle between her fingers. Something attacked Valeena's heart at the sight, and her insides churned.

Darting between the tables, she picked up on the fact that nobody took any notice of the Draenei until her legs gave, and she sent a glass hurtling to the floor as she tried to grasp the bar for support. Arille was stirred by the noise, and was the only one bar Valeena who made a move. He got to Laruna before Valeena, and scrunched up the towel he had hanging by his waist; pulling Laruna's hand away from the wound and pressing the towel against it to try and stem the flow,

"We need to move her into the back; there's nothing I can do out here." Arille said to Valeena. A shrill squawk came from a bird that sat outside the door, forcing Arille to throw a small fireball at it. The bird jumped out the way and took to the sky, "Bloody birds." Arille muttered as he heaved Laruna to her feet. Valeena pulled Laruna's free arm over her shoulders and she and Arille weaved through the table and into the back of the inn.

Amisi appeared from one of the side-rooms, meeting Arille's steely gaze and nodding as she rushed out to the front room. Arille kicked open a side-door and revealed what would be his and Amisi's bedroom, "Lay her down and keep the towel firmly pressed against her wound; there's not much I can do without a proper bandage or healing spell." Before Valeena could speak, he was up and out of the room.

She returned to Laruna, who lay tense on the bed. Not once had she opened her eyes since appearing in the doorway of the inn, but her face kept the same pained look. Valeena touched the back of her hand to Laruna's forehead, recoiling from the feverish heat. Whatever had made the wound must've been a spell-bound or poisoned weapon to induce such a powerful temperature.

Arille still wasn't back and Valeena grew ever more worried. The towel steadily grew heavy and damp with blood, as if the wound refused to heal. If nothing was done soon then Laruna would bleed to death. No. Valeena couldn't face another death today, least of all Laruna's. She whimpered as more precious seconds passed. Laruna's eyelids flickered rapidly and her face scrunched; whatever was afflicting her was gaining the upper hand. Something needed to be done now, but Valeena was powerless.

Arille stormed back into the room, carrying a tray of bandages, scraps of cloth and varying poultices. Valeena shifted to give him space and gave him control of the towel. Wrenching it away from wound, he immediately replaced it with one of the cloth scraps, watching as it soaked up the blood at an alarmingly fast rate, "This is unlike any wound I've seen; it might be beyond the capability of simple first aid." Arille said as he tried a second cloth to no avail, "No, the bandages simply won't work; the best we can do here is relieve the pain with potions."

Valeena watched Arille as he sighed and opened one of the flasks of red liquid on the tray, "There's got to be something we can do; anything!" she exclaimed, but Arille shook his head.

"She is beyond physical healing; there is nothing more we can do unless a priest or druid happens to wander in; and Talandrel has a firm grip over the latter." Arille replied, "The most we can do here is offer her a painless end."

"No!" Valeena grabbed one of the bandages from Arille's tray, "She can't die! Not today!" Arille sat and poured the potion into glass, knowing that he wouldn't be able to convince Valeena otherwise. Part of her wanted him to intervene, but the rest wanted her to try.

The bandage soaked through almost the second it touched the wound, and no amount of layers could stop it. Blood mixed with Valeena's falling tears as they streamed down her cheeks and collected on her chin. She spluttered as her throat clogged and tremors ran through her grief-stricken body. As the final bandage became sodden, she screamed and threw it to the floor with a wet thump. In a last ditch attempt, she pressed her hands against the wound and tried to seal it; logic dictated that this was a vain attempt, but emotions commanded that she try.

Arille looked on as weeping Valeena buried her tear-covered face in Laruna's abdomen; the only thing stopping him from administering the potion was the blue glow that appeared above Valeena's forehead. Laruna's body relaxed and the blood flow ebbed away. The wound stitched itself back together as light coursed from Valeena's palms into Laruna.

Valeena now seemed aware of what was happening, and she had ceased crying. Instead, she now watched through reddened eyes as the last of the wound sealed. Despite the healing, Laruna didn't stir. Her muscles had relaxed, but she showed no further movement. Her chest didn't rise or fall and she remained silent. Arille bowed his head and replaced the potion inside the flask.

"It wasn't her time." Valeena muttered, "She didn't deserve this."

"We did all we could; there is no fighting fate's will." Arille replied, "Do you wish for me to leave you to say goodbye?"

She stayed silent for a minute before nodding. Arille acknowledged the nod and exited the room. Valeena stared at the body of Laruna; she couldn't believe she was gone. The pained expression had been replaced by one of peace. Leaning over, Valeena lightly kissed Laruna's forehead, noting the warmth it carried and wondering whether it was simply the body cooling. Laruna's death suddenly impacted on her body, and her eyes filled up once again. Salty tears rolled down her cheeks, collecting the remnants of the last flow.

Dripping off her face, they splashed onto Laruna's face, not even drawing a change of expression. One of the tears landed directly onto Laruna's nose, and Valeena could've sworn she saw it scrunch slightly. Another landed on her left eyelid, and again Valeena thought she saw it twitch. Something warm floated across her neck, and her heart skipped a beat. Laruna's stomach moved ever so slightly up and down, and tears of sadness in Valeena's eyes were replaced by tears of joy.

Laruna's eyes batted and weakly peeled open for just long enough to let her see Valeena smiling back at her. Laruna's mouth curled into a feeble smile. She could just about move her arms, and she guided Valeena's hand to her stomach, assuring her that she continued to breathe as she closed her eyes again. Valeena leaned in again and kissed Laruna on the lips, revelling in the delicate reciprocation she received. She broke the kiss and affectionately nuzzled Laruna's neck,

"I though I'd lost you… I'm just glad that you're back." She whispered, "I love you."


End file.
